Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli Isolated from Surface Water in Urban and Rural Areas of Bangladesh

Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) is very commonly a cause of acute watery diarrhea in infants and young children in Bangladesh (2). Although organisms of this type are known to be spread through food and water contaminated by feces, limited information is available on climatic factors or the presence of ETEC in surface waters (ponds, rivers, and lakes) that are used for drinking, washing, cooking, and bathing in developing countries (3). This is in contrast to the extensive efforts that have been put forth to characterize the presence of Vibrio cholerae in the aquatic environment (4).